Moving to a New Studio! Tips to Decluttering

It’s a little bit of a strange time over at I SPY DIY Headquarters, we are packing up the studio to move to a new, bigger, more kicka$$ space, so we are in a bit of a transition time. It’s tough to start some of my new projects without making a mess and undoing the packing…and there has been a lot of packing. After two years in the studio I have acquired SO MUCH STUFF. Somedays it makes my mind want to explode thinking about it. Back in the beginning days of blogging, we would just make a DIY project, then snap a photo of the finished product wherever it was at that moment. Now, it’s all about styling the final projects in picturesque setting, with fresh items every time. And although sometimes it can be stressful, ultimately, the images are so much more exciting and gratifying. The problem is, you start to form a serious prop hoarding problem. After chatting with my one of my fellow bloggers who was having the same clutter problem as me, I shared some tips I learned from Marie Kando’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing“. When you are debate keeping or throwing away something, she says you first have to ask yourself if this item sparks joy? If not, chuck it! The problem is, so many of things I gather bring joy, but once it’s photographed once, I can’t really use it again…so this is the part of her book that has been a game changer for me: Before getting rid of something, Thank it for its service, and then let it go. We tend to hang on to an item because of the memory attached to it, not because we need the item. So be grateful for how it has enhanced your life or, in this case, your work, and then you can donate it to bring someone else joy. I know it sounds ridiculous, but try it! I swear, every time I say (out loud) “Thank you for your service” to an item, then get if of it, the anxiety of letting go dissipates. Last time we got rid of about 30%, and tomorrow we are going to try to cut that in half! I’m bummed to leave this space, but so happy to have a new (decluttered) studio to decorate!